https://www.looper.com/1189943/how-the-osbournes-made-its-legendary-mark-on-reality-tv-history/

BY MERRI PALMER/UPDATED: FEB. 6, 2023 1:10 PM EST

When the pilot episode of "The Osbournes" aired on MTV on March 5, 2002, things were different. Reality TV consisted of "Cops" and "The Real World." If you tried to explain "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" to the average 2002 person, they would've assumed you were on lots of drugs. There was no social media, and no smart phones. It's hard to imagine the context today, but one series about the daily lives of an aging heavy metal rockstar and his family completely changed culture and reality TV forever. The show was MTV's highest rated and most watched program (https://people.com/celebrity/osbournes-biggest-mtv-hit-ever/) and served as a proof-in-concept many reality shows replicated down the line.

The Osbourne family took a bold risk by allowing MTV into their home to film 24 hours a day over three years and broadcast four seasons of their private lives into homes around the world. It paid off — the show was the first of its kind to win a Primetime Emmy (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306370/awards/?ref_=tt_awd). Ozzy's career and the careers of his family were catapulted into legendary status, and a new era of docu-sitcom reality TV overtook American culture.

When it was announced that Ozzy Osbourne would soon have a reality show on MTV little did we know that this reality show would become a pop-culture favorite and for MTV who already made reality shows about Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's marriage with Newlyweds Ashlee Simpson with The Ashlee Simpson Show and Brooke Hogan with Brooke Knows Best MTV knew that singers with reality shows were fast becoming an obsession The Osbournes would fit well like a glove. And with Pat Boone's fun cover of Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train as the theme song The Osbournes felt more like a sitcom than a reality show about Ozzy Osbourne's life with his family. Based on the success of The Osbournes MTV's ratings spread like a fast-moving wildfire and there was even merchandise from music clothing fashion accessories even dolls and action figures and plushies of The Osbournes too. And for many teenage/college age fans this was the beginning of when MTV really was great. But what I think they should've done was give The Osbournes a third season because it was a giant hit and for the new Ozzy Osbourne fans this show is a fun treat to watch